Tuesday Show Report : HOYS 2011

Matthew Wright has dominated this year’s Express Eventing qualifying series and he kept his terrific form at Hoys to take this year’s final and a £12,500 prize on Sir John Peace’s French-bred 15-year-old If You Want II.

It was a close-run thing for the man from Nottinghamshire, though, as he went into the final show jumping phase just behind Australian

star Sam Griffiths. The course included a final "eraser fence" — a set of light planks — that removed four penalties if cleared and Matthew made full use of this chance after they lowered an earlier pole.

This put extra pressure on Sam and when the first two fences fell for his ride, the German-bred former dressage horse Real Dancer, victory was Matthew’s.

A clear round for Alex Hua Tian on Ken Rehill’s Trakehner stallion Grafenstolz moved him into second place and also gave him the leading young rider prize, while Harry Meade took third place with Nigella Hall’s neat bay Tinka’s Time. Matthew Wright had targeted the series all year. "It’s a great new concept," he said.

Show jumper Derek Morton swapped hats to show June Snedker’s Keep Talking in the working hunter class. This paid off in spades when they jumped one of only three clears and took the title, pushing Louise Bell and W Get Smart into second place. Derek will be back in his more usual gear later in the show, when he returns to take part in Saturday’s Puissance.

Horse Deals showing columnist Robert Walker had a fantastic start to the show when his team took the top two places in the small hunters. Robert won on Party Time, with wife Sarah runner-up with another of Jill Day’s horses, Goldern Tasset.